Social And Economic Changes In The American Atlantic World From 1492 To 1750

As a result of new contacts among Western Europe, Africa, and the Americas, social and economic transformations occurred in the Atlantic world from 1492 to 1750. Many social changes occurred in these regions as a result of new contacts. Economic changes had great effects on West Europe, Africa, and the Americas during the time period, 1492-1750.

The social and economic transformations that occurred were created by the initiation of European expeditions by Spain and Portugal. In the early 15th century, King John I of Portugal initiated a crusade in order to conquer Muslim land in Northern Africa for spiritual and economic reasons. His third son, Prince Henry the Navigator also wanted to defeat the Muslims by flanking them from Southern Africa.

Capitalism is a free market economy system is driven by profit, supply, and demand. The appearance of capitalism shaped government in Europe by the fact that capitalists supported the government in order to have a free market economy, capitalists and the government began to cooperate to establish taxes for the government and protection of businessmen. Mercantilism also had a strong influence on European nations due to their attraction to imperialize as much land as possible. The Spanish, English, French, and the Dutch had ships and people ready to colonize and trade in the Americas. That had many benefits such as the exchange of food between different countries. This exchange led to a facilitation of the spike in human population due to the multiplication of food. The exchange of animals and plants greatly impacted people on both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. Domesticated animals such as cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, and horses allowed the world’s population to increase around ten times the amount. The exchange of wheat was important for the Americas because wheat is an important crop for them. Although there were many benefits from the Columbian Exchange, the exchange of goods between America and Europe in the 15th century to about 18th century, also had negative effects associated with it. Since America and Europe are completely isolated, diseases are also isolated, so the Europeans were exposed to diseases in America that natives were immuned to and vice-versa. Diseases such as amoebic dysentery, bubonic plague, chickenpox, diphtheria, influenza, malaria, measles, smallpox, syphilis, whooping cough. Over 90 percent of the population in the Americas died, and lots of Europeans died due to these new diseases. Europeans were attracted by the ability for skilled workers to establish settlements and create territory and many settlers had to leave Europe to devaluation of European